Friday, May 8, 2009

The Teal Tea

Last Sunday I drove to Trenton NJ for the Teal Tea. I had the honor of presenting the Victorious Woman April’09 award to its founder, Jean Shipos.


Brief background: Jean beat ovarian cancer TWICE! She’s now past the five year marker (the 2nd one). Jean, like our other Victorious Woman Honorees, is using her challenge of a lifetime and subsequent victory to educate, encourage and inspire other women who are battling cancer. She’s doing that through the Teal Tea Foundation. Its mission is to raise awareness about ovarian cancer and its detection and support research for the cure. time). You can read Jean’s story at http://www.victoriouswoman.com/vwmonth.htm.


The Teal Tea: If you are like me, your heart would have been uplifted when you entered the hotel ballroom and saw the specially - and spectacularly - decorated tables, each one different. The room was filled with the 300+ guests, mostly women. The air was charged with their energy and enthusiasm; it reverberated throughout the room.


When I arrived at the Teal Tea, its publicist Mary Jane Crawford was my guide. I sat between Lois, a cancer survivor, and Vanessa, whose mother and grandmother died from cancer. Thank you each for making me feel welcome!!


After the award presentation, Jean introduced me to Sharon, whose son died of Leukemia. She is the founder of the Kisses for Kyle Foundation to help Philadelphia PA area children with cancer and their families, in the area.


During the whole event, Jean Shipos worked tirelessly. Her passion for making the event both fun and purposeful was evident. She barely sat down; between coordinating events with the leader of the wonderful jazz band, overseeing the competitions for “Best Table” or “Best Hat” or watching out for Mr. & Mrs. Teal Tea, Jean was busy from beginning to end.


Of course, and Jean would be the first to tell you, she didn't do it alone. She had so many volunteers that it seemed as though all the attendees doubled as volunteers. That’s because everyone knew they were there because (1) they want to find a better detection tool for finding ovarian cancer and (2) they want to find a cure so that no one else, or no one's loved one, has to hear that devastating diagnosis.


It won’t be long before Jean Shipos starts getting ready for the 2010 Teal Tea. If you would like to donate to her cause – money, sponsorship, gifts for silent auction or anything else, Jean would love to talk with you. You can learn more about the Teal Tea at http://www.tealtea.com.


Last Chance: If you haven't downloaded the 2009 Victory Calendar yet, do it now: http://tinyurl.com/victory09

You still have time to enter the Victorious Woman Essay Contest: http://www.victoriouswoman.com/vwcontest.htm

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